Automatic air-coupling.



P.-N. FISHER.

AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 30, 1913. A

v F. NVFISHER.

AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10 1912. 1 074 35 Patented Sept. 30,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET a.

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plates to the boxes.

m ren stares. earner orat on FREDERICK 1v.

FISHER, or COLUMBUS, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC AIR-COUPLING.

tc be automatically engaged when the cars.

are coupled, and automatically disengaged when the cars are uncoupled, and wherein means are provided for insuring a correct air connection, whether the cars be on straight, curved or uneven track, and which, when attached to a car, doesnot hinder the air coup1ing of such car with cars not so provided. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of portions of twocars, equipped with the improved coupler; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the coupling connected; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a car truck equipped with the coupler; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conpler section; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 6 is a horizontal longitudinal section; and, Fig. 7 is a front view of the section.

In the present embodiment of the inven tion, the coupler sections are supported from the trucks 1 of the cars 2-2 by means of yolies or arc-shaped plates 3 and 4, each of which has its body secured to'lthe section by bolts 5, and its a-rmssecured to the outermost journal boxes 6 ofthe trucks. The bodies of the plates and at are arranged above and below the coupler section, and the bolts 5 passthrough both plates, at the sides of the" coupler, and are held by nuts above the plate 3. t

The ends or arms of the plates3 and 4 are lapped onto the journal boxes, thoseof'plate 3 above the box, and those of plate 4 below, and the bolts 6 secure the arms of both Each of the sections of the coupler comprises cylindrical outer' section or casing 7, having one end closed at 8, and the other end open, and an inner section 9, also cylindrical, and slidable in the section 7, and having its inner end closed at 10.

A coil spring'lt is arranged in the section Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed July 10, 1912.

'13 of t-hchead, and the Patented Sept. 30, 1913. Serial a... 708,637.

T, between theclosed' ends 8 and 10 of the sections, and the is preferably internally threaded, and closed by a sectional head, consisting of an inner seetion12 and an outer section 13, the section 12 having a reduced portion 14 preferablythreaded into the end of the section. Screws 15 are passed throu h openings in both sections 12 and 13 of the head, and

engage the section 9 to hold the heads securely in place.

The head sections are recessed on their adjacent faces, as shown at 16, for the section 12, and at 17 for: the section 13, to form. an approximately spherical socket, for receiving a ball 18. The ball has a stem or rod 19, which extends through anopening 20 at the center of section 12 of the head. and the free end of the stem or rod is fiattened, and perforated, as indicated at 21. A coil spring 22 has one end engaged with the opening23 of an eye-bolt 2 L, passin through an opening 25 in the end 10 of the inner section of the casing. A nut 26 is threaded onto the eye-bolt, in section 7 for adjusting the tension of the spring. The ball is also provided with a. tending in the opposite direction from the stem, through an opening 28 ii. the section outer end of the neck has an annular lateral flange 29. The opening 28 is tapering or enlarged toward the outer end thereof, to permit the neck to swing laterally in any direction.

A coupling plate 30 is arranged at the outer end of the neck, the said plate having an opening 31 at its center, which is rabbeted or counter-bored twice at the inner face of the plate. A gasket or washer 32 is received in the opening 31, and the gasket has an external annular rib at its inner end, which fits in the first counterbore. The flange 29 of the neck fits against the inner end of thegasket, in the second counterbore, thus preventing movement of the gasket inwardly, and screws 84 are threaded into openings in the plate 30, at the edge of the counterbored opening 31. The heads of the screws overlapping the edge of flange 29 and engaging counter-bores in flange 20, to prevent a. rotary motion in the couplingplate 30, the heads of the screws 3i being provided 'with holes or other suitable means for keying them with a wire screw-lock.

The plate is preferably of diamond shape,

as shown more particularly in F i gs. 4 and 7,

neck 27, ex-

outer end of the section 9 v and is arranged with its long axis hori zontal. At one end of the outer face of the plate, a preferably elongated opening 35 is provided, the said opening extending through the plate, and being tapering, as shown. The large end of the opening is on the outer face of the plate, and the long axis of the opening is parallel with the long axis of the plate. At the other end of the outer face of the plate a lug or projection 36 is provided, the said lug being pointed, and tapering gradually from the base to the point. The lug is shaped to fit the opening of the other section of the coupler, and the said lug and opening are similarly placed with respect to the plate 30. The inner section'9 of the telescoping casing 7-.9 is longitudinally slotted. as shown at 37, and .a plurality of screws 38, are threaded through the side wall of section 7 and engage the slot. Each of the screws has a plain reduced portion 39 at its inner end for engaging the slot, and the threaded portion of the screws is at their heads. The screws constrain the sections 7 and 9 to retain a fixed angular position with respect to each other, while permitting them to move longitudinally, and such screws serve the further purpose of retaining sect-ion 9 in section 7.

, The ball 18 is hollow, as indicated at 40, and a pipe 41 is threaded into a radial opening in the balhthe said opening communicating with the hollow. The outer end of the pipe 41 is connected to the train pipe 42 of the car, by ahose 4-3, and the neck .27, is also hollow. The air pressure may pass from the train pipe throughthe-hose 43, pipe 41, ball and neck, and gasket 32, to the adjacent coupler section. A connection 44 is interposed in the hose, near the pipe ll, and the section 7 of the telescoping casing held between bearing sections 45, on the plates 3 and 4:. The head section 13 is formed in two pieces, as indicated in Fig. 4,

. so that it may be arranged over the ball 18.

In operation, the coupler sections are supported in-such relative positions with re spect to the cars, that when the car couplers 46 are connected the plates BO'will bein contact. The springs-11 normally hold the section 7 extended, in about the position shown in Fig. 6, and the -Sc-.tlOI1S of the air coupler are so arranged that when the cars are coupled the sections 9 will be moved into the sections 7, to compress springs 11 hold the plates 30 firmly in contact. The gaskets 32 extend beyond the faces of plates 80, so that when the plates are forced together the gasket will be pressed together tightly, to make aflnid tight joint. The lugs 36 by their engagement with the open-.

ings 35, center the plates 30, and insure the register of the gaskets. Theball 18 permits the plates 30 to move slightly in-any direcand tion to insure a correct register of the gaskets. The spring 22 tends to hold the plates 30 with their plane at exactly right angle to. the axis of the casing 7-9, and the tension of thespring may be adjusted by the nut 26. The springs 11, hold the gaskets at all times tightly in contact when the cars are coupled. The screws 38 are locked by a nut lock or like device to prevent accidental displacement.

The air coupler sections may be attached to the truck in any suitable manner, an will of course vary with the character of truck. The coupler is entirely automatic, as when the cars are coupled, the air connection between the cars is at once securely made, and when the cars are uncoupled, the air connection between the cars is immediately broken.

I claim Y LAn automatic air coupler of the character specified, comprisingsimilar sections, each consisting of a telescoping casing composed of inner and outer members, each member having its inner end closed. a sectional bearing socket at the outer end of the inner member, a hollow head rotatable in the bearing socket, means for permitting the head to be connected to the train pipe, the head having a stem extending into the inner section of the casing. and a neck extending outwardly, a coupling plate secured to the outer end of the neck and having acentral opening registering with the openmg of the neck, an elastic gasket 1n the opening and extending beyond the outer face of the plate, means for preventing angular movement of the casing sections with respect to each other, said means comprising a. longitudinal slot in the inner section, andscrews threaded through the outer section and engaging the slot, :1 spring in the outer section between the sections and acting normally to force the inner section outward, an eye bolt passing through the inner end of the innersection, a spring connecting the bolt to the stem, a nut threaded ontothe bolt outside the inner casing, and means for centering the plates.-

2. An automatic air-coupler of the charactcr specified comprising similar sections,

each consisting of a telescoping casing eomposed of inner and outer members, each member having its inner end closed, a sectional bearing socket at the outer end of the inner section, a hollow head rotatable in the bearing socket, means for permitting the head to be connected to the train pipe, the head having a stem extending into the innor section of the casing, and a neck extending outwardly, a coupling plate secured to the outer end of the neck and having a central opening registering with the opening of the neck, an elastic gasket in the opening and extending beyond the outer face of the stem, a nut threaded onto the bolt outside -the inner casing,

and means for centering the plates. v t

3. An automatic air coupler of the character specified, comprising similar sections, each consisting of a telescoping casing composed of inner and outer members, each mem-- ber havmg its inner end closed, a sectional bearingsocket at the outer end of the inner section, a hollow head rotatable inthe bear ing socket, means for permitting the, head to be connected to the train pipe, the head having a stem extending into the inner section of the casing, and a neckextending outwardly, acoupling plate secured to the outer end of the neck and having a central opening registering with the opening of the neck, an elastic gasket in the opening and extending beyond the outer face of the plate, means for preventing angular movement of the casing sections with respect to each other,

a spring forcing the coupling sections apart, yielding means engaging the stem of the head to hold said stem at the axis of the casing, andmeans for centering the plates.

4. An automaticair coupler of the character specified, comprising similar sections,

each consisting of a telescoping casing composed of inner and outer members, each member having its inner end closed, a sectional bearing socket at the outer end of the inner section, a hollow head rotatable in the bearing socket, means for permitting the head to be connected to the train pipe, the head having a stem extending into the inner section of the casing, and a neck extending outwardly, a coupling plate secured to the outer end of the neckand having a central opening registering with the opening of the neck, an. elastic gasket 1n the open- 1ng and extend ng beyond the outer'face of the plate, means for preventing angular movement of the casing sections with respect to each other, a sprmg forcing the'sections of the casing apart, yielding means engaging the stem of the head to holdsaid stem at the axis of the casing, and means for centering the heads. 7, r

5. An automatic; air coupler device comprising similar "sections, each section comprising a coupling plate having a central opening and anelastic gasket extending beyond the outer face of the plate, a hollow head having a hollow neck secured to the inner face of the plate with the bore of the neck registering with the opening, a casing comprising inner and outer telescoping sections, a sectional bearing for the head at the outer end of the inner section, a spring forcing the sections of the casing apart, yielding means for holding the plate at right angles to the axis of the casing, and means on each plate for engaging the plate of the other section'to cause the openings of the plates to register, said means comprising a tapering projection on one side of the central opening, the plate having a tapering opening at the other side for engagement by the projection on the plate of the adjacent coupler section, and means for connecting each coupler section to a car-truck, said head having a laterally extending nipple for connection to the train'pipe of the car.

6. An automatic air coupler device comprising similar-sections, each section com-- prising a coupling plate having a central opening and an elastic gasket extending be-. yond the outer face of the plate, a hollow head having a hollow neck secured to the inner face of the plate with the bore of the neck registering with the opening, a casing comprising inner and outer telescoping sections, a. sectional bearing for the head at the outer end of the inner section, a spring forcing-the sections of the casing apart, yield-' ing means for holding the plate at right angles to the axis of the casing, and means on each plate for engaging the plate of the other section to cause the openings of the plates to register, and means for connecting each coupler section to acar, said head having a laterally extending nipplefor connec tion to the train pipe of the car.

FREDERICK N. FISHER. Witnesses:

EDGAR SMITH, J P. MEGENITY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

